Jane Lake Makes a Mistake

Don't you hate when bloggers use their blogs to promote "get rich quick" schemes, or things that you sign up for and get spammed for years to come.

Ever since Blogmad announced their prelaunch of Exlinks, I see links to it on every blog from here to Timbuktu. Nobody even knows what it does or if it will work! I have not promoted it on my blog not because I think it is a scam, but only because every other blogger already has signed up and is promoting it. I have signed up 75 referrals just in case it turns out to be something worthwhile!

So just to be a little different, I thought I would share two programs that are also just starting out, are free to join, never cost you anything and potentially could provide you with decent extra income. And before anyone screams "pyramid scheme", let me point out that programs that don't cost anything to anybody can not be a pyramid scheme by definition!

The first is AGLOCO. This company was setup by Stanford MBA's trying to capture a nice chunk of the online advertising market. Basically they give you a viewbar, which you get paid to use for 5 hours a day. You also make money for every referral that uses the viewbar as well. You also get shares in their IPO if it makes it that far. They have a nifty referral calculator that will show you that you will potentially make 6 figures with a decent referral base.

Check it out here:

AGLOCO

The other site is similar. It is called Take The Internet Back. Like AGLOCO, there is no cost to you, you get free downloads, a share of the advertising revenue and points which become stock shares for reading emails and referring others.

Check it out here:

Take The Internet Back

I like these programs that with a little work you can build a few extra paychecks a month. It really does add up.

Sorry for the shameless promotion, but for those of you that sign up, I really do hope that you make a lot of money!

Posted by L.I.D at 8:26 AM | Permalink | Comments

Jessica and Nick, Jennifer and Brad, Hilary and Chad, Britney and Kevin, Reese and Ryan, Pam and Kid. Lets face it. Celebrities get married so they can have a big party. Their concept of marriage as a lifetime commitment is nonexistent.

It is ironic to me how the entertainment world will fight for gay marriage and rights when they don't even have a clue about traditional marriage. I think these "teen role models" make a mockery of love and marriage and flaunt it in front of teenagers and young adults that are easily influenced by their "turn it on, turn it off" relationships.

I think we need to take a hard look at divorce in this country and consider making it a lot harder to do so. Marriages of convenience, of impetuousness, of lust need to be overhauled.

I think you should be required to take a test about your spouse when you get married. If you get less than 80% correct the marriage is annulled. No prenups allowed!(sorry Donald) Divorce must be voted on by jury and should no longer be rubber stamped.

Maybe if we make it harder to both get married and get divorced, we can return to the true intentions of this institution, love and commitment.

I entered this in the Philosophy Blog War. Pleases vote for my entry here:

VOTE FOR JANE!

Posted by L.I.D at 8:40 AM | Permalink | Comments

I am back!

Although it is always a disappointment when vacations end, coming back to work can be like a fresh beginning. For a solid three hours you feel like you have energy and desire to be better than ever. Unfortunately a week of vacation only buys you three hours of this illusion. By lunchtime, the work and all of the headaches make you ready for another vacation.

The good part about this time of year is you get back just in time for the holiday parties, holiday food baskets sent by clients, more vacation not too far away, and everyone attempting their part at good cheer.

If it only lasted past Christmas!

Posted by L.I.D at 9:40 AM | Permalink | Comments

I am on vacation this week but I figured I would try to fit in a little poem:

Worrying
by Jane Lake

Don't worry about your future, it inevitably will come,
Don't worry about your past, as living there just might be dumb,
But especially don't worry about the things you don't control
as twenty one times out of twenty two, you tend to reach your goal.

Worrying just slows you down, and worries those around you,
Calm and steady wins the race and this just isn't my view,
but it's important enough to say again, for most of you don't listen.
Hakuna Matata says it all and helps your life to glisten.

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

Posted by L.I.D at 7:39 PM | Permalink | Comments

Certainly one of the top 5 games ever invented is Scrabble. I am a social Scrabble player and do not aspire to competition levels. I do however make an effort to keep up with the authorized Scrabble two letter words.

With the release of the fourth edition of the Scrabble Dictionary, there are now five new two letter words (total of 101) that will dramatically affect game play.

They are FE, KI, OI, QI, and ZA. Previously there were no two letter words with Q or Z and F was just FA and K was just KA. FE, KI, QI, and ZA all take S's. OI does not.

I am most excited about ZA (short for pizza)!I love pizza and I love getting the letter Z!

QI (the vital force in Chinese thought, same as KI) will also have a major impact as many people get stuck with the letter Q at the end of the game. Now there is a much higher chance of using it.

So anyone that wants to play me, please memorize the 101 two letter words first. I don't want an unfair advantage!

Posted by L.I.D at 9:02 AM | Permalink | Comments

There was an article in the New York Times ten years ago mocking the need to recycle and the people obsessed with the need to.

I reference it here for your review:

RECYCLING IS GARBAGE!

It caused quite a controversy and was rebuked by many, but quite frankly I have to admit that what Mr. Tierney says makes a lot of sense, and is worth revisiting. To sum up if you don't have time to read it, the conclusions are that recycling takes jobs away from rural areas that need it most, increase costs to the consumer, saves a minimal amount of land, and does nothing for the environment.

I find that this is another example of someone being right at the wrong time. Recycling is a feel good activity and adults and children alike relish in the theoretical benefits. It is big business and thus has a large enough lobby to make Mr.Tierney look questionable if not downright ridiculous.

But we have seen time and time again that it is easy to distort facts, mislead the American public, and hide the truth (yes, I am referring to abortion!).

I have not recycled for a year or so and I have to say I feel pretty good about it and makes my life just a little bit easier. Sometimes I think we just need to question things that are many times shoved down our throats.

By the way, today is America Recycles Day!

Posted by L.I.D at 8:57 AM | Permalink | Comments

Here we are approaching the beloved holiday of turkey farmers and cranberry boggers alike.

I must say it is difficult for a vegetarian to fully appreciate the immense slaughter of innocent fowl in order to give thanks for what we have. Sure there is Tofurkey (which is decent, not great) and enough veggie side dishes to plump up the slightest of us. Sure it is great to get together with family and friends. Sure it is a day off of work.

But between the traffic, preparation, eating too much, and did I mention traffic, I'm not sure it is all worth it.

It is also somewhat ironic that we commemurate the suffering of the pilgrims (anyone that has been to Plymouth Plantation can attest that it is not the French Riviera), and the taking of land from Native Americans by gorging ourselves until we need to lie down.

I think what we need to do is modernize Thanksgiving. Be thankful for peace, family, friends etc. Make macaroni and cheese the main dish as its place as the best comfort food is long coming. Give people a choice of 4 optional days to celebrate it to enable a lessening of traffic on any 1 day. Everyone should get a massage on Thanksgiving so that they are fully relaxed and energized. NO TV!

Anyone with me?

Posted by L.I.D at 1:35 PM | Permalink | Comments

How many excuses do you make every day to avoid doing something? Ten? Fifty? Over one hundred? I think you would be surprised to find out the tally if you actually sat down and counted. But I’m sure you have something better to do than to count your excuses. Go fix something to eat. Go and do your laundry. Lie down and rest for a few minutes.

Welcome to the world of excuses!

Most people don’t even realize they are doing it. Doing your laundry is doing something. How is that an excuse? Well, it isn’t always. It is one thing to do your laundry at 9am according to plan, but for it to pop into your head to do your laundry because someone asks you to do something for or with them is just an excuse. Don’t get me wrong though. I’m not saying planning gets you out of the excuse business. Some people are so smart that they plan their excuses far in advance.

But I digress.

Do any of these excuses sound familiar?

I have a headache. I’m tired. I’m swamped. Let me get back to you tomorrow. My dog ate it. I missed it by a minute. I thought it was Wednesday. I just can’t find the time. If I only had the energy I had ten years ago. Later. None of this makes sense. We don’t have the resources. It cost too much. Why should I? You don’t need it. I thought I checked it. I thought I had enough time. Why can’t you do it? I don’t like to exercise.

This is just a short list of what is nearly an infinite array of possible excuses that you either use, or have used at some point in your life.

What is my point? Why should you care?

Because I put it to you that only the smallest fraction of your potential is being realized. Have you ever failed in anything? Did you ever not get the job that you wanted? Did you ever come up short at the wrong time in your life?

Excuses stop people from doing. It is doing that allows people to succeed. The best that you can do with making excuses is getting by. For some people, getting by is enough, but I like to think that we are here to maximize our potential and make a difference in our work and our personal lives.

How many things have you not done in your life because of an excuse. Is it the book that you didn’t write? Is it the trip that you never took?

Excuses come in all shapes and sizes. They are used in the workplace, in your personal relationships, and with yourself. Making excuses for not exercising or for why eating that second piece of cake is okay is the tip of the iceberg in hampering your achievements.

The negative psychological effects of making excuses will follow you around and ensure that you will not live up to your potential. Guilt and denial will become your mantra faster than you can blink an eye.

I entered this in the Philosophy Blog War. Pleases vote for my entry here:

VOTE FOR JANE!

Posted by L.I.D at 8:53 AM | Permalink | Comments

I was the only person at my voting location this morning. Keep in mind that I am in NYC and this was during prime morning time to vote! If any of my candidates win by 1 vote, I will be especially proud of myself.

It is truly terrible to live in this country and not vote. It is one of the few rights we have that should be exercised whenever possible (but only vote once per election!)

I'm not sure I have ever voted for a winning candidate in NY but someday it will happen. The tides are turning and the amount of money a candidate has will someday be irrelevant.

Personally, I think all candidates should be given an equal budget to campaign. Why should anyone have a monetary advantage?

Posted by L.I.D at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments

I am saddened that people feel that the death penalty accomplishes anything more than proving that mankind has not yet learned the meaning of love or mercy.

Killing other humans makes us no more than premeditated savages. Saddam Hussein (once just an innocent boy as you can see in the picture) probably was responsible for many horrific crimes, but spending the rest of his life in prison is the only viable humane punishment we know.

How can we expect our children to grow up to believe it is wrong to kill, use guns,and solve problems with violence when we as a society support the death penalty, war, and the right to have an abortion?

I think what we really need to do is to start killing as many people as we can with KINDNESS! Only then will future generations inherit a world worth its weight in milk and honey.

Posted by L.I.D at 8:22 AM | Permalink | Comments

Heroes is the latest hit on NBC. I have mixed views on this show. Unfortunately it appeals to children and this is definitely not a show that anyone under 13 should ever see. Attempted rape, dead bodies with missing brains, heroin addicts, a nuclear explosion in New York, internet porn and of course politicians all make this an R rated show by any standard.

But I have to admit the science fiction plot of the show and the laughable naivete of the character Hiro make it decent entertainment. I just wish Hollywood would realize that all of the above mentioned negatives only detract from the show, not enhance it.

I will stick with it for Season 1 just to find out how they save the world, but if they don't clean up their act, they will definitely lose me, and probably many others after that.

Posted by L.I.D at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments

How could I talk about the moon without saying a little something about the ocean whose tides are affected by the moon.

It is quite apparent how powerful and awesome the ocean is, but did you realize that half the oxygen we breathe comes from the ocean.

To get an interesting perspective, view this short film:

Go to

Breathing Oceans!

Click ok to authorize it will play full screen

Posted by L.I.D at 9:19 AM | Permalink | Comments